PGA West Stadium Course

[BritBoy]

I am playing PGA West in Jan 07 and have looked all over for course layout pictures, or pictures of the course.

Does anyone know where I could find them?

Or has anyone played there and can tell me what to expect?

[flashman70]

Go to pgawest.com. It has the layout, a couple of pictures and the scorecard. Laquintaresort.com also has a pic and scorecard. Expect lots of water and sand and forced carries.

[BritBoy]

Thank you, thats exactly what I was looking for!!! Have you played there? I am going for 4 days and have three passes for golf, two of which I will use on the stadium course, the other I was thinking about playing the mountain course. Would anyone recomend any other courses at La Quinta?

[RX Phoenix]

Do I have any advice . . . yes . . . pray.

It's my home course! Seriously, there is nothing to be afraid of.
Play the Nicklaus Tournament Course and the Norman Course too.

I just played the Mountain Course and it is very scenic that but it isn't as classy as the other three. Same with Dunes.

Maybe a good 3 would be Stadium, Norman, and Mountain, that will leave a lasting memory for sure! Don't miss the Norman course, it is totally unique.

I wouldn't do both the La Quinta courses, just one would be enough, make the other two PGA West courses, or do all three PGA West. You are going to golf heaven so be ready. Practice your short game, chipping and putting, Stadium greens are very subtle and tough to read.

Are you planning to play from the tips? I would suggest playing from the whites the first time, well I see you are a 2.2 so why not go from the back, in which case it will be a very difficult test. There is so much trouble around the greens that a short iron in is a huge relief, and by trouble I mean massively deep bunkers, mounds like the moon, etc.

If you break 85 from the back you will have had a good round, in the 70's and you played fantastic. Forget about par, that would be a good score for the pro's. If you hit fairways and greens it's really fair and fun, but start getting loose and the struggle begins.

The Norman course can be had, very receptive greens with bump and run openings in front.

The Mountain Course is not so tough but the first time its not easy to know exactly where to hit the ball, check your yardage book.

Nicklaus Course is difficult requiring accurate shotmaking and the Dunes Course is very manageable, player friendly, but still high caliber.

Your equipment looks ideal, use the Hybrid for accuracy whenever you can. Carts don't have GPS so if you have a SkyCaddie that would help or a range finder, it's not always easy to get your yardage.

Bring your CAMERA/Video and take your time to enjoy, it's golf paradise!

Psssstttt . . . don't tell anyone but the SilverRock Resort Course may be the best course of them all, if you can squeeze in one more round!

[BritBoy]

Thank you so much for the advice. Except for the part that now I REALLY can't wait to get there!!!!

I am planing on playing from the blues first time out and then hitting the tournament tees on the last round, just to see what I can do. Although a 255 yard par three does worry me

I think I will change the mountain course to the Norman course. Thanks again for the advice.

[RX Phoenix]

That's an excellent plan, go with it . . . play the Stadium twice, first blue then tournament, sandwich the Norman in between to give your nerves a break. I was so scared first time I played the Stadium I thought I was going to my execution, but it's such an awesome course that you feel like a pro just being out there.

The Norman is a much better golf course than the Mountain Course! Be sure to eat in the Stadium clubhouse, great view, and the Norman outdoor dining area which has great food.

Play well and let us know how the trip turns out!

PS . . . here is a video of my recent play on the Mountain Course

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq7JgLNnfSE

It's a beautiful setting and a good course but the Norman is a world class type of course that will leave a lasting impression IMO.

[BritBoy]

I will definately let you know how it goes..... assuming I survive the adventure that is.

I am going down to play with the pro that I work with up here in Idaho. He teaches down there at the Jim McClean school in the winter, and up here in the summer...... I hope he realizes he's not only playing, but is on the bag too

[BritBoy]

Oh and thanks for the video.......... looks awesome!!!!!

[BritBoy]

It's my home course.....

Your home course? How cool is that?!?! If I see you there I'll buy you a cold one to say thanks for the info

I have my dates set. Get there the night of Feb 4th, start playing Feb 5th - Feb 8th, then head home on the 9th. The countdown is on!!!

[RX Phoenix]

I read that there are very few courses on the PGA Tour that the public can play on, Torrey Pines is one, so is Pebble Beach, and Kapalua Plantation I believe is a resort course that you can play, but most are private so we don't get to really experience what it is like to play on those kind of courses.

The great thing about the Stadium Course at PGA West (it's public) is that you feel like you are on a Tour caliber Course and you can see why the pros are so good.

The basic problem with the course is that if you miss the green you are in big trouble so it really is necessary to be hitting short irons in . . . but if you miss the fairway you are in big trouble too, so what do you do? Try and hit it long, or try to get it in the fairway?

If you choose to get it in the fairway you will believe that you are playing well except that those greens keep getting you . . . LOL . . . so conservative play seems to be the way, but it isn't really. You have to be both long and accurate off the tee to really have a chance to score here.

If you want to have fun then put it in the fairway and at least you will feel like you are dealing with this course at some level. I believe the mark of a great course is that you can feel that you are playing real well and be happy about it, yet your score will be very high. Anyway, each hole is so great that you can't wait to get to the next one and you can't worry about the double at the last hole because you've got 210 over the water, unless you bail left which is surrendering to bogie or more right there.

On 14 there is a vast sand trap all along the right side of the fairway, at the Q-school finals most of the guys hit hybrid here to place it in the middle of the fairway. Then one player pulls out driver and crushes it and it's heading for that sand . . . but no, he carried it so far that it caught the edge of the fairway past where the bunker curves to the right a bit. What a crazy shot, but he pulled it off, right then I'm saying to myself . . . "these guys are at a different level, that's why we are watching them!" They know exactly what their carry is, and are so consistant they have no fear about hitting that shot knowing that it will carry exactly a certain amount of yardage.

18 is a great finishing hole, you get to decide exactly how much you want to flirt with the lake on the left, or bail right which leaves you a treacherous approach. There is no easy hole on this course.

Have a great time BritBoy, I know you will! Golf Heaven.

[powerfade]

Thank you, thats exactly what I was looking for!!! Have you played there? I am going for 4 days and have three passes for golf, two of which I will use on the stadium course, the other I was thinking about playing the mountain course. Would anyone recomend any other courses at La Quinta?

BritBoy - Silver Rock sounds like a must play according to several reviews I've read. I haven't had the opportunity but hope to play it in June. It's an Arnold Palmer course in La Quinta. It's joining the rotation for the Bob Hope starting next year. The pictures look nice.

Trilogy La Quinta is a nice course as well. I played it '05 and loved it (a little more wide open). The Skins Game is played there. I also like the Classic Club (another Palmer course). I played 2 rounds there last June. I can't wait to get back there again. It's the host course for the Bob Hope. Hope you have an awesome trip.

[BritBoy]

Ok it's finally here, I leave tomorrow!!!! tee times are booked and the plan is:

Sunday : Spend most of the day on the range, working the winter rust off and getting ready (as much as possible) for the days ahead and soaking up the atmosphere
Monday : Range work and playing the Stadium Course
Tuesday : Range work and playing the Nicklaus Course. Probably followed by nursing two days of sunburn
Wednesday : On the range again and playing the Classic Club
Thursday : Playing the stadium course one more time. This time a little different though, I'm gonna play to score and see what I can do.
Friday : I don’t wanna go back to Idaho.... It's COLD!!!

Thanks for your advice guys and stay tuned for the scores..... huge as they may be

[RX Phoenix]

One question, need to fill out a foursome??? . . . LOL.

WOW, can't get much better than that, hope the wind doesn't blow out at the Classic!

Have a fantastic time, it will be a time you'll always remember. Let us know how it went.

[BritBoy]

I had an unbelievable time at PGA West!!! OK here’s how the golf went:

Monday at the Stadium : I wasn’t ready for this!!! Pete Dye is MEAN!!!! I shot an 89 from the blues
Tuesday at the Nicklaus : Love this course, actually played it twice this day. Both rounds from the blues and I shot 78, 81. I'll take it!!!
Wednesday at the Classic Club : Nice course but didn’t compare to the other two imo. I shot 82 from the tips.
Thursday back to the Stadium ( from the tips ). I tried as best I could to stay in the fairway but struggled at times and ended the week with and 84. Both days at the Stadium I hit the green side bunker on 16 and both times I was out in 1 . Both days hit 17 with my first ball, and both days absolutely hated the 5th.

All in all it was definitely one hell of an experience!!!

[Shindig]

I had an unbelievable time at PGA West!!! OK here’s how the golf went:

I'm glad you had a good time. A [non-golfing] friend of mine has a place in La Quinta, and I'm thinking of heading over there to play the course sometime. What would you say is the highest handicap one can have and still enjoy the course? I'm not thinking of going with my 32, but I'm thinking if I start hitting in the mid-80s someday, that I might go over there to play.

[BritBoy]

I'm not thinking of going with my 32, but I'm thinking if I start hitting in the mid-80s someday, that I might go over there to play.

I wouldn't wait, there are friendly courses there as well as death traps. The Stadium is very visually intimidating, but if a guy could keep it in the fairway its fair. The Nicklaus Tournament course is a lot of fun and was my favorite.

[Shindig]

I wouldn't wait, there are friendly courses there as well as death traps. The Stadium is very visually intimidating, but if a guy could keep it in the fairway its fair. The Nicklaus Tournament course is a lot of fun and was my favorite.

So if my short game, and not my driving (distance bad, but I tend to hit fairways more often than not) is the issue, I might be able to handle it?

[mgresh]

Sounds like you had a great time Britboy. I played quite a few courses in the Palm Springs area many years ago including the staduim and Nicklaus courses at PGA West. My handicap wasn't quite a low then as it is now but I found the Nicklaus course very enjoyable and fair. The staduim course was a blast, although I was only able to play it once. I seem to remember having to target very specific areas of the fairway to have a level lie for my approach. Incidentally I also was in the famous bunker at 16 and out in one (can't say I was close though) and hit alcatraz on my first shot though I played from the blue tees and not the tournament. I'm sure there was some luck involved in both cases! I do plan to go back in the not to distant future and give it a go from the tips. Lucky me, my folks have a home at Ironwood CC in Palm Desert (though I've never been there) so I have built-in accommodations and if I time it when they're not there it shoud be perfect j/k! Take care and good luck. -matt